Weak
Summary: Sasuke wasn't late for the Chunnin exams… no, he was early, and he wanted to see the Naruto's match first. Is that such a horrendous crime?
Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto. Stop asking me. Get a life. Go away.
AN: A gift fic for Rin-neechan, who continues to be awesome, as always. Everyone needs an award for their awesomeness, right?
Power corrupts.
Sasuke watched as Neji's pale eyes stared towards the sky in hope. He most likely realized that Uzumaki Naruto was strong, notions that the blond was a loser no longer appearing in the Hyuuga's shortsighted mind.
The black-haired boy scoffed. Pathetic.
How was it that nobody could see that they weren't acknowledging Naruto, but rather themselves? To call one a loser, to call one weak—and then to be beaten by such a weakling—wouldn't such a humiliating defeat blow a huge amount of damage to their prides? Such a large amount, in fact, that they don't even know of their deceit?
'And it's a tragedy,' he thought, remembering the hunter nin that he failed to defeat, 'Nobody will acknowledge his strength, only their own,' he contemplated, watching, always watching. 'And that he'll never ever get his…' his thoughts paused, word taking a while to seep through his thought processes, filtered due to the fact that it was not in his vocabulary, 'dream,' he continued, 'to come true.'
Sasuke doesn't ignore the truth ('Most of the time,' he thinks, 'but this is on purpose.' When Orochimaru calls, Sasuke will answer). He knows that Naruto is more powerful than him, beating Neji, who always beat Rock Lee, who fought him and won—and beat the fake hunter nin, Naruto did, though Sasuke still thinks that he had the chance, but using that chance would mean that he would kill someone close to him (Sasuke never, ever wants to be like that murderer of an older brother—despite the fact that shinobi are made to kill, and Sasuke wants to be the best so he can kill his brother. Sasuke is a hypocrite). Sasuke knows that whatever leverage he has over the blond will soon be gone, and he is desperate (desperate!) to keep himself above his teammates level ('I didn't leave for the power,' he mused, watching his katana cleanly slice through the man's stomach, blood splattering over a metallic headband engraved with a swirling leaf; mission complete, 'I joined the Sound because it was my last chance.').
Sasuke, as smart as he is, didn't see the promise his teammates had when he was an academy student; and why should he? Naruto failed the Genin test three times, (where he, if he had the chance, could pass it in one) and the only thing Sakura was good at then was stalking—and asking him out for a date—so she never really stood out.
Now, now he knows of Naruto's strength, of his stamina and his jutsus—and Sasuke is jealous, envy burning in his soul at the sight of the one he calls 'dobe'—but Sasuke knows he's strong, and he knows that Naruto, if Sasuke doesn't do anything, will pass him. Sasuke doesn't ignore the facts.
Sakura was a bit smart, he supposed, walking to his sensei as it became clear that his match was starting, and in a swirl of leaves, he disappeared, only to re-emerge in the middle of the ring, silently wondering if Naruto was going to beat Gaara of the Sand instead of him victorious—again.
Because if he was proven weak again, he doesn't know what he'll do, who he'll kill, and Sasuke can only hope it is Naruto who dies.
Absolute power is kind of neat.
If absolute power corrupts absolutely, does absolute powerlessness make you pure?
From the twisted mind of theinsane, whom wishes for reviews.